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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Winter Trees - William Carlos Williams

All the complicated details
of the attiring and
the disattiring are completed!
A liquid moon
moves gently among
the long branches.
Thus having prepared their buds
against a sure winter
the wise trees
stand sleeping in the cold.

Despite being a poem which depicts a moonrise in winter, this poem is really full of spring. Fall completed ("attiring and disattiring" being the fall of the leaves from the trees), it's now winter, when the trees have wisely protected their buds so that they made wake in spring. This preparedness against a sure thing is wisdom. This is rather true of us in the winter time as well. We have to attire heavily to go outside, de-attire when we come in, and so on. We must prepare against sure things as well, and like the trees, be ready when the time comes.

On a day as cold as today (15 F, -10C) this poem felt fitting. It's beautiful out, despite the cold, though, and the image of a moon sliding between slender, bare branches was irresistible.

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About Me

I'm Chris, a retail area manager, who once upon a time traveled the world and taught English abroad. I think reading poetry is one of the most important things anyone can do, and that reading slowly, and with deliberation, is a balm for the soul. With each poem I post, I provide some small analysis, which will hopefully provoke some thought. Above all, I hope that you enjoy these poems and that they come into your mind at unexpected times.

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